Ecommerce (ecom) and quick commerce (qcom) platforms are expected to lead gig worker hiring in calendar year 2026 (CY26), adding nearly 1 million workers on the back of sustained demand for last-mile deliveries, higher order volumes, and continued expansion of dark stores into non-metropolitan cities, industry experts have said.
Investors and startup executives are calling for extending the period for an entity to be recognised as a startup from 10 to 15 years for deep-tech companies.
'As long as apps show impossible delivery times, delivery and packaging workers will be pressured to meet unsafe, unhealthy standards.'
Eternal, the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, on Wednesday reported a 72.8 per cent jump in its net profit for the third quarter of financial year 2026 (Q3FY26), on the back of a robust momentum in its quick commerce business. The firm's net profit rose to Rs 102 crore in Q3FY26 against Rs 59 crore it reported during the same period a year ago.
'Headcount expansion is more likely in revenue-linked and product-critical teams than in broad based hiring.'
The government has infused over Rs 3,100 crore into women-led startups over the past six years, through its three schemes including the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) to boost female entrepreneurship across the country, according to an update shared by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The Bharat Taxi platform is already positioning itself as the world's largest driver-owned mobility network, with more than 51,000 drivers across cars, autos, and bikes registered in New Delhi and Saurashtra, Gujarat.
India is on track to exceed the $4 trillion milestone in 2025-26 (FY26), surpassing the $3.9 trillion gross domestic product (GDP) mark recorded at the end of March 2025, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran said on Tuesday.
FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd, the parent company of beauty retailer Nykaa, recorded a 3.4x growth in net profit at ~34.43 crore in the second quarter of FY26, up from ~10.04 crore in the corresponding period last year.
As the quick commerce (qcom) race hots up, a new model - vertical qcom - is gaining investor attention. Unlike horizontal players such as Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart, which stock everything from groceries to gifts and gadgets, vertical platforms focus on depth over breadth.
India's gifting market is seeing its biggest festive season yet, with sales through quick commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit and Instamart jumping 40%-50% year-on-year.
Deep-tech now forms over half of VC portfolios in India as firms like Cornerstone, Unicorn India Ventures and All in Capital back startups combining research with scalable models
Qcom alone is expected to account for a 60 per cent surge in gig hiring, adding 1.5 million to 2 million roles.
Hiring demand is strongest for high-impact technology and product roles, particularly DevOps engineers, product managers, and full-stack developers.
While mobility aggregators such as Rapido and Uber have welcomed the decision, gig workers associations and unions remain concerned.
'There's been interest from multiple states, and exploratory conversations are ongoing.'
Notably, four portfolio companies-- Agnikul, ePlane, CynLr, and GalaxEye -- of deep-tech investor Speciale Invest made it to the list.
Bike-taxi drivers are also left stranded as many depended on the service.
Uber recorded approximately 200 per cent year-on-year growth in its pre-scheduled ride option, Uber Reserve.
'India is a very strategic geography. The business is growing over 37-38 per cent year-on-year.'
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